Reflections from Psalm 10

Last night I was reading Psalm 10  and I couldn't help but think of the persecuted church as I was reading it.  When you consider that the saints of old were persecuted this Psalm is really no surprise.  Yet, even though we may not be persecuted in the same way I know we often feel the same cry of our hearts.  The Psalmist begins Psalm 10 this way,

"1 Why do  You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do  You hide {Yourself} in times of trouble? 2 In pride  the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let  them be caught  in the plots which they have devised. 3 For the wicked boasts of his heart's  desire, And the  greedy man curses {and} spurns the LORD. 4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek {Him.} All his thoughts  are, "There is no God." 5 His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are on high, out  of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them. 6 He says to himself, "I will not be moved; Throughout  all generations I  will not be in adversity." 7 His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression;  Under  his tongue is mischief and wickedness. 8 He sits in the lurking  places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily  watch for the unfortunate.  9 He lurks in a hiding place as a  lion in his lair;  He lurks  to catch the  afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.  10 He crouches,  he bows  down, And the unfortunate fall by  his mighty ones. 11 He says  to himself, "God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it."

Aside from the evil man boasting about how great he thinks he is, what really struck me about this Psalm is how the evil man attacks the innocent, unfortunate and afflicted.  It's the typical bully who doesn't pick on someone his own size.  Why?  Because he'd probably get slaughtered himself or beaten down a peg or two.  Isn't it interesting how evil attacks the weak and not the strong?  Isn't it interesting how evil mocks God because God doesn't act the way he things he should?

The Psalm continues...

12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand. Do  not forget the afflicted. 13 Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, "You will not require {it.}" 14 You have seen {it,} for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take  it into Your hand. The unfortunate  commits {himself} to You; You have been the helper  of the orphan. 15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none. 16 The LORD is King forever and ever; Nations  have perished from His land. 17 O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;  You will strengthen  their heart, You  will incline Your ear 18 To vindicate the orphan  and the oppressed,  So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.

I love how the Psalmist speaks the truth about who God is and what God will do to the evil person.  He knows that God has the power to destroy the wicked but he also understands that God's ways are not his own. He  uses the phrase "lift up your hand" which refers to God's might and power.  The Psalmist knows that God is all powerful and is pleading that God show the evil one just how weak he truly is.

The psalm ends with praise and also hope that God will vindicate the orphan and the oppressed.  He also reminds the reader that God is sovereign over the nations and He is not missing anything that is happening.

As we think of the persecuted church, may we remember that God will not be mocked and that He does reign supreme over the earth and all nations.  He is the helper to the weak, afflicted, orphan and unfortunate and His current silence does not mean that He is unaware or not doing anything.  There will be a time when evil men will no longer cause terror on the earth.  We have the promise from God, and it's a written guarantee.